Future-Proofing Your Agency: Be like an Ant
It’s like returning to the Ant Farms of our childhood as we turn to the fifth important animal trait for future-proofing your agency.
One reason ants are inspirational is their characteristic of working in a highly coordinated fashion.
They modify their habitat and adapt to environmental changes; they utilize available resources and deploy division of labor to do so.
Our Infographic, 8 Animal Traits You Need to Future Proof your Agency, recognizes ants as Curators and Contractors.
In their work, ants “curate”, collecting materials they need from their surroundings to build their nests.
They also “contract” by dividing the labor of colony building into tasks with groups of ants assigned to specific functions.
These are abilities the successful Agencies of the Future will embody. As an industry, advertising is truly undergoing massive environmental changes.
Instead of nest building as ants do, we build brands, and the “materials” to accomplish this are changing and expanding rapidly.
These changes call for expertise that may not always be in-house.
Fortunately, bringing in strategic partners who provide the specialized know-how your client needs is acceptable to Marketers.
In our recent survey, 70% of Marketers say they are agreeable to their agencies using outside resources to support their brand strategy, particularly if doing so:
- Provides true expertise the agency itself does not have in-house.
- Generates stronger ROI, through a combination of cost management and higher revenues.
Remember though:
- The key to “exploiting resources” as an agency relies on strong strategic partnerships that are genuine, substantive and proven.
- Make sure your partnerships add value.
Be a curator as well as a contractor of resources that will benefit your clients as you work.
BE THE ANT.